Hall of Famer Brenda Field is the local chair for the JEA/NSPA Fall Convention scheduled for Chicago in 2018. It's not too late to get involved, she says — and what you put in now will pay dividends throughout your career.

Never before have the media and the First Amendment come under such ridicule and hatred by a sitting president. During Scholastic Journalism Week — Feb. 19 to 25 — scholastic media outlets should encourage their audiences to become civically engaged and contact lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to let them know that an assault on the First Amendment is not only an attack on professional journalists but on the nation’s students as well.

Who will succeed Libertyville's Hannah Boufford as Illinois Journalist of the Year? JEA State Director Brenda Field has some advice for those seniors who plan to compete for the honor: Let your passion shine through!

Brenda Field attended her first JEA/NSPA convention in 1996. More than 30 conventions later, she's still attending — and still learning! Whether you go with or without students, conventions will always leave you feeling inspired, refreshed and renewed.

A decade ago, Trudy Hurd put in the hard work to pass JEA's Certified Journalism Educator exam. The now-retired yearbook adviser explains why all advisers should embark on the journey to becoming certified.

Yet another reason to get involved in scholastic journalism organizations was on display Sept. 16 at IJEA's Fall Conference. Kirkwood High adviser Mitch Eden (shown here at a different event with Mary Beth Tinker) led the way with his motivational advice, as IJEA board member Carol Smith recounts.